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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

तेनापि किल धर्मेण उद्दिश्य किल किंचन । देयं तद्धर्मयुगिति शून्ये शून्यं फलं मतम्

tenāpi kila dharmeṇa uddiśya kila kiṃcana | deyaṃ taddharmayugiti śūnye śūnyaṃ phalaṃ matam

Même par de tels moyens justes, il faut offrir quelque chose avec une consécration appropriée et une intention conforme au dharma; car lorsque l’intention est vide, le fruit est tenu pour vide.

tenaby that
tena:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; pronoun ‘by that/with that’
apieven, also
api:
Avyaya (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; ‘also/even’
kilaindeed, it is said
kila:
Avyaya (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkila (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निश्चय/श्रुत्यर्थक निपात (particle: ‘indeed/it is said’)
dharmeṇaby (that) religious act/duty
dharmeṇa:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; Instrumental ‘by/with (that) dharma’
uddiśyahaving dedicated/intended
uddiśya:
Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootud-diś (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having intended/dedicated (to)’
kilaindeed
kila:
Avyaya (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkila (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; particle
kiṃcanasomething (a little)
kiṃcana:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkiṃcana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘something, anything (a little)’
deyamto be given
deyam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootdā (धातु) → deya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be given’
tat-dharma-yukendowed with that dharma
tat-dharma-yuk:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roottad (सर्वनाम) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + yuk (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (‘endowed with that dharma’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (understood with deyaṃ/karma as predicative qualifier)
itithus
iti:
Vacana-marker (वचनचिह्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक
śūnyein the absence (void condition)
śūnye:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootśūnya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; Locative ‘in/when (it is) void/without (proper intent)’
śūnyamvoid, null
śūnyam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśūnya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘void, null’ qualifying phalam
phalamresult
phalam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootphala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘result’
matamis considered
matam:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootman (धातु) → mata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘is considered/held (to be)’

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Scene: A donor pauses in contemplation, hands in añjali, mentally dedicating the gift; a subtle aura indicates intention; the act of giving follows with reverence.

FAQs

Dāna must be accompanied by dharmic intention and dedication; without it, the spiritual result collapses.

No site is named; the verse teaches the inner principle behind meritorious giving.

It implies a proper dedication/saṅkalpa while giving, so the act is ‘dharma-yuk’ (joined to dharma).